School-desk.



No. 784,050. PATENTED MAR. '7, 1905. J. W. JOHNSTON.

SGHOOL DESK.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 4, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 784,050. PATENTED MAR. '7 1905. 'J'. W. JOHNSTON.

SCHOOL DESK.

APPLIOATIOIT FILED MAY 4, 1903 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented March '7, 1905;

JAMES. W. JOHNSTON, OF CHICAGO, IILLTNOIS.

SGHOOIL DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,050, dated March '7', 1905.

' Application filed May 4:, 1903. Serial No. 155,581.

To (LZZ whom it 'II'l/II/II/ cor worn.-

Be it known that I, JAMns WV. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in School-Desks, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 shows said new school-desk in end elevation. Fig. 2 shows a face view of the base or floor member as seen when looking tmvard either the seat or from its rear, the bracket being cut away by a plane parallel to the slot-face. Fig. I; shows the top of the desk-bracket and the desk-braces below the plane 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows the metal parts of the desk as seen from the desk-front side with a fragment of the desk on it. Fig. 5 shows the desk on the seat-front side with the seat and back and the metal back-supporting mechanism. behind the back shown in. broken outlines.

The object of this said invention is to improve the details of construction and opera tion of school-desks of the class herein shown and described. To attain said desirable ends, said new device is constructed in substantially the following manner, namely:

The base or foundation piece A is now made as a single solid casting, provided with necessary adjuncts and parts modified and adapted 'to this present structure. For- :merly said base was in two distinct parts, which were connected at their tops by raised short corrugated surfaces coupled by a bolt. Each leg of this foundation-piece A is provided with a longitudinal slot a a, whereof the length may range from five to ten inches, more or less, according to the degree of adjustment desired. The angle of the legs a from the vertical is about twenty-three degrees, and they are connected by a web and arch into one piece, substantially as shown. The feet a of said legs have plain front and rear edges and rounded ends, through which at each end is passed a screw (L The outer faces I) of said slots extend in both directions longitudinally, with parallel edges of the same width as the slot-faces to form ways or sliding supports on which the brackets c and (Z are held. The bracket 0 is expandi-nl into a top having the horizontal. arms a, on which the boardf re; which forms the bottom of the desk proper, c, which is held by bolts or screws, as shown. The bracket 0 has an inclined member or base 1:, provided with lips it, which project over the sides of said ways, and one of said lips is formed into rack-tmxth Z, which mesh into a pinion m, journalcd in the member A. Said pinion is turned by a removable crank or wrench '11, whereby the sliding members 1: and (1 may be moved up and down on their supporting-legs a, and from the lower end of c rise curved brackets c, which are held together and to a web of said bracket by a bolt a, each. bracket resting on a fulcrum 0", thus forming a rigid '|'oot ing to resist horizontal vibration of the desk above. The ends 0 of said brackets are fastened to the board f. The bolts 0 of said sliding pieces pass through the slots a (I- andv their nuts bind said inclined parts (1 andv d firmly.

The seat-bracket (Z has an inclined member d, provided with a rack Z, pinion m, and fastening-bolt 0, like the bracket 0; but the up per end (1 thereof extends forward, is expanded, and provided with alongitndinal slot (1", in which plays a bolt d", fixed into the back (1", whereby said back has a vertical adj ustinent toward and from the seat (1". The lower end. of the inclined holder d is turned upward into two curved arms 9, their ends holding a pintle-rod g, on which turn lugs g forming the ends of a seat-piece g, carrying the seat d. Said seat-piece has a central rib extending both forward and back from said rod g and continues rearwardly, forming a tailpiece or spur h, which is caught under a bracket or spur 71/ on the part (1, whereby the inclination of the seat is adjusted either iixedly or variably when said spur is made adjustable, as indicated in broken outlines. By spreading said arms g, as shown, from about three inches to ten inches, more or less, the seat is easily held in a very rigid position and thereby noiseless manner. W'hen desirable, said eat may be so nearly balanced as to be made to rise into the vertical position by a very slight tilt. Said end is attained by either weighting said spur h or by a spring h on the rod 9 and seat and arms, as shown, just strong enough to produce said condition. The front and rear slot-faces I) and I) approach at their upper ends from the base about a quarter of an inch more or less. When, therefore, it is desired to adjust a seat or desk, it is raised to its upper limit and held by the nut of the bolt 0, from which by releasing said nut slowly its bracket will drop by short intervals under such release until the right point is reached and the nut reversed and firmly set. Said racks 7 and their pinions are not indispen sable, because the parts maybe lifted byhand to their upper limits of adjustment.

What I claim is 1. The combination with longitudinallyslotted and oppositely-inclined fioor members, of a reciprocable desk-holding element and means to hold it, regulably, in one of said slots and brackets secured to said reciprocable element provided with fiat ends tangent 1igiodthe desk-bottom, substantially as speci- 2. The combination with a longitudinallyslotted floor member, of a desk-holder on said member provided with fixed desk-holding element,means to adjust said holder, and removable brackets thereon, terminating in the plane of the desk-bottom, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with an inclined bifurcated seat-bracket, an inclined fioor member thereto and said bracket provided at the ends of said members with hinge elements, of a tailed seatsupport having counterpart hinge elements provided with a single central tailpiece, means for connecting said hinge elements, and a stop for said tail, sub stantially as specified.

JAMES W. JOHNSTON.

W'itnesses:

THOMAS J. NEWBERRY, WILFORD C. ToLEs. 

